diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ff7c65e4..4e3ebed6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -72,11 +72,13 @@ bsnes/out/libsnes.$(ARCHIVE_SUFFIX): forcelook
 	$(REALRANLIB) bsnes/out/libsnes.$(ARCHIVE_SUFFIX)
 
 
-src/__all_files__: src/core/version.cpp buildaux/mkdeps.exe forcelook
+src/__all_files__: src/core/version.cpp buildaux/mkdeps.exe buildaux/txt2cstr.exe forcelook
 	$(MAKE) -C src precheck
 	$(MAKE) -C src
 	cp src/lsnes$(DOT_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX) .
 
+buildaux/txt2cstr.exe: buildaux/txt2cstr.cpp
+	$(HOSTCC) $(HOSTCCFLAGS) -o $@ $<
 buildaux/version.exe: buildaux/version.cpp VERSION
 	$(HOSTCC) $(HOSTCCFLAGS) -o $@ $<
 buildaux/mkdeps.exe: buildaux/mkdeps.cpp VERSION
diff --git a/buildaux/txt2cstr.cpp b/buildaux/txt2cstr.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0cf79219
--- /dev/null
+++ b/buildaux/txt2cstr.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <fstream>
+#include <sstream>
+#include <cstring>
+
+const char* hexes = "0123456789ABCDEF";
+
+struct encoder
+{
+	encoder(std::ostream& _output) : output(_output)
+	{
+		have_quote = false;
+	}
+	size_t operator()(unsigned char* buf, size_t bufuse, bool eof)
+	{
+		if(!bufuse) return 0;
+		std::ostringstream out;
+		size_t i = 0;
+		while(i < bufuse) {
+			if(!have_quote) {
+				out << "\"";
+				have_quote = true;
+			}
+			unsigned char ch = buf[i];
+			if(ch == 9) {
+				out << "\\t";
+			} else if(ch == 10) {
+				out << "\\n\"" << std::endl;
+				have_quote = false;
+			} else if(ch == 13) {
+				out << "\\r";
+			} else if(ch < 32) {
+				out << "\\x" << hexes[(ch >> 4)] << hexes[ch & 15];
+			} else if(ch == '\"') {
+				out << "\\\"";
+			} else if(ch == '\\') {
+				out << "\\\\";
+			} else if(ch < 127) {
+				out << ch;
+			} else {
+				out << "\\x" << hexes[(ch >> 4)] << hexes[ch & 15];
+			}
+			i++;
+		}
+		output << out.str() << std::endl;
+		return i;
+	}
+	size_t operator()()
+	{
+		if(have_quote) {
+			output << "\"";
+			have_quote = false;
+		}
+	}
+private:
+	std::ostream& output;
+	bool have_quote;
+};
+
+void do_encode(std::istream& input, std::ostream& output)
+{
+	char buf[4096];
+	size_t bufuse = 0;
+	bool eof = false;
+	encoder e(output);
+	while(true) {
+		if(!eof) {
+			input.read(buf + bufuse, 4096 - bufuse);
+			bufuse += input.gcount();
+		}
+		if(!input)
+			eof = true;
+		size_t bytes = e(reinterpret_cast<unsigned char*>(buf), bufuse, eof);
+		memmove(buf, buf + bytes, bufuse - bytes);
+		bufuse -= bytes;
+		if(eof && !bufuse) break;
+	}
+	e();
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv)
+{
+	if(argc != 3) {
+		std::cerr << "Usage: txt2cstr <symbol> <file>" << std::endl;
+		return 1;
+	}
+	std::ifstream in(argv[2], std::ios::binary);
+	std::cout << "const char* " << argv[1] << " =" << std::endl;
+	do_encode(in, std::cout);
+	std::cout << ";" << std::endl;
+}
diff --git a/src/lua/.gitignore b/src/lua/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f9254829
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lua/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+sysrc.cpp
+
diff --git a/src/lua/Makefile b/src/lua/Makefile
index 237b709d..d666be8e 100644
--- a/src/lua/Makefile
+++ b/src/lua/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-OBJECTS=$(patsubst %.cpp,%.$(OBJECT_SUFFIX),$(wildcard *.cpp))
+OBJECTS=$(patsubst %.cpp,%.$(OBJECT_SUFFIX),$(wildcard *.cpp)) sysrc.$(OBJECT_SUFFIX)
 
 .PRECIOUS: %.$(OBJECT_SUFFIX) %.files
 
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ __all__.files: $(OBJECTS)
 	lua ../genfilelist.lua $^ >$@
 	echo >__all__.ldflags
 
+sysrc.cpp: sysrc.lua
+	../../buildaux/txt2cstr.exe lua_sysrc_script $< >$@
+
+sysrc.cpp.dep: sysrc.cpp
+	touch sysrc.cpp.dep
+
 %.$(OBJECT_SUFFIX): %.cpp %.cpp.dep
 	$(REALCC) -c -o $@ $< -I../../include $(CFLAGS)
 
@@ -17,4 +23,4 @@ forcelook:
 	@true
 
 clean:
-	rm -f *.$(OBJECT_SUFFIX) __all__.ldflags __all__.files
+	rm -f *.$(OBJECT_SUFFIX) __all__.ldflags __all__.files sysrc.cpp
diff --git a/src/lua/sysrc.cpp b/src/lua/sysrc.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 06699cb1..00000000
--- a/src/lua/sysrc.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-const char* lua_sysrc_script =
-"loopwrapper = function(fn, ...)\n"
-"	local routine = coroutine.create(fn);\n"
-"	local resume = function(...)\n"
-"		if coroutine.status(routine) ~= \"dead\" then\n"
-"			local x, y;\n"
-"			x, y = coroutine.resume(routine, ...);\n"
-"			if not x then\n"
-"				error(y);\n"
-"			end\n"
-"		end\n"
-"	end\n"
-"	local yield = function()\n"
-"		return coroutine.yield(routine);\n"
-"	end\n"
-"	resume(yield, ...);\n"
-"	return resume;\n"
-"end;\n"
-"print=print2;\n"
-"loadfile=loadfile2;\n"
-"dofile=dofile2;\n"
-"memory2=memory2();\n"
-"callback=callback();\n"
-"render_queue_function=function(rq)\n"
-"	local _rq = rq;\n"
-"	return function()\n"
-"		_rq:run();\n"
-"	end;\n"
-"end;\n"
-"string.byteU=_lsnes_string_byteU;\n"
-"string.charU=_lsnes_string_charU;\n";
diff --git a/src/lua/sysrc.lua b/src/lua/sysrc.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a88051c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lua/sysrc.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+loopwrapper = function(fn, ...)
+	local routine = coroutine.create(fn);
+	local resume = function(...)
+		if coroutine.status(routine) ~= "dead" then
+			local x, y;
+			x, y = coroutine.resume(routine, ...);
+			if not x then
+				error(y);
+			end
+		end
+	end
+	local yield = function()
+		return coroutine.yield(routine);
+	end
+	resume(yield, ...);
+	return resume;
+end;
+print=print2;
+loadfile=loadfile2;
+dofile=dofile2;
+memory2=memory2();
+callback=callback();
+render_queue_function=function(rq)
+	local _rq = rq;
+	return function()
+		_rq:run();
+	end;
+end;
+string.byteU=_lsnes_string_byteU;
+string.charU=_lsnes_string_charU;